Method of assembly of building elements for the making of ridged structures



y 1967 s. SCHMIDT 3,331,181

METHOD OF AS BLY OF BUILDING ELEMENTS FOR THE MA G OF RIDGED STRUCTURES Filed Nov. 6, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 18, 1967 s. HMIDT 3,331,181

METHOD OF EMB OF BUILDING ELEM S FOR THE ING OF RIDGED STRUCTUR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 6, 1964 y 18, 1967 s. SCHMIDT 3,331,181

METHOD OF AS BLY OF BUILDING ELEMENTS FOR THE MA G OF RIDGED STRUCTURES Filed Nov. 6, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet .5

United States Patent 3,331,181 METHOD OF ASSEMBLY 0F BUILDING ELE- MENTS FOR THE MAKING OF RIDGED STRUCTURES Siegfried Schmidt, Am-Deich 90, Bremen, Germany Filed Nov. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 409,363 3 Claims. (Cl. 52-747) The invention concerns building elements and methods of assembly for the making of ridged structures for roof construction or the like.

Known ridged structures of this kind are built up on jig frames on the ground or in situ from prepared individual slabs or stiff V-elements. Large spans and previously to be secured together from a number of sections, because single sheets due to their own weight were not capable of being assembled in long lengths and stiff V-elements of long length present great difficulty in transport and assembly although the intermediate assembly may be achieved on the ground, the final assembly on the building works must also be undertaken.

However, jig frames and intermediate assembly complicate and make more expensive the making of ridged structures and make rational construction of building works impossible. The present invention bases itself on the problem of avoiding these disadvantages.

According to the invention this is achieved by a building element having prepared concrete building slabs arranged at an angle to one another, which in pairs form a single longitudinally prestressed, elongated element, and which are hinged together along one long edge. For transport, a pair of slabs like this can be folded together and can easily be transported in big lengths on edge. When unfolding the pair of slabs, according to the method of assembly according to the invention yet to be fully described, both individual slabs are supported by mutually taking the forces due to their own weight alternately in such a way that large spans can be bridged by a single prepared pair of slabs.

Preferably the hinged connection comprises a weak, bendable transverse reinforcement passing between the individual slabs. The pair formed by two slabs is thus manufactured simultaneously While saving the connecting section. Where this raises difiiculties, or is otherwise undesirable, the transverse reinforcements of individually made slabs can be linked together later by hooks or the like; or, if a transverse reinforcement is lacking, special links, for example in the form of books and eyes, can be arranged which can be joined together at any suitable time before opening up of the pair of slabs.

If translucent ridged structure is required, the roof sections lying between the reinforcements can be filled with concrete lights. These lights have a high resistance to pressure.

In the method according to the invention of assembling ridging building elements, especially of the above kind, one proceeds by first lifting, by means of a lifting rope or shear bars, by its upper edge one of the pairs of slabs formed by folding together the individual slabs; then swinging it over the support structure, setting it down with the lower longitudinal edge (valley edge) on the support structure and then by further lowering of the hoist unfolding it in its support position. Thus it is basically equivalent to making the individual sections of a pair in the horizontal position and on lifting them from the finishing surface to fold them, or to make them vertically and from there closing or folding them together.

According to a preferred further development of the method of assembly according to the invention, one end of the lifting rope or shear bar is connected to the upper 3,331,181 Patented July 18:, 1967 edge (ridge edge) of the one slab, and the other end to the upper edge (ridge edge) of the other slab, the rope or shear bar being as long as the width of the unfolded pair and in the assembly position also assuming the stabilization of the pair which are folding open. The ropes could alternatively be the length of the sides of the triangle in the built-in position of the pair and would then be placed in the form of a loop around the pair of slabs. In each case it is ensured that upon unfolding the pair, which advantageously occurs by automatic tipping of the slabs over a bearing member, they are brought into the correct angle of the support position. It can be arranged that several pairs can be unfolded and mounted in a single operating swing of the crane by suitable design of the carrying member.

For the purposes of explanation, the drawings show construction elements according to the invention and stages in their assembly:

FIG. 1 shows an element according to the invention in perspective view with the reinforcements indicated;

FIG. 2 shows a partial view in perspective of the element according to FIG. 1 folded up;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an element, folded up and suspended on a crane by mounting ropes;

FIG. 4 shows two elements unfolded in their erected position before the filling in of the ridge and valley joints (the support frame is omitted).

The pair of concrete bridging slabs according to FIG. 1, made horizontally of reinforced concrete, comprise a bridging reinforcement 1 and a Weak transverse reinforcement 2 which is so formed between the individual slabs that they can be folded together, as in FIG. 2 and can be transported on a beam, as in FIG. 3.

The assembly of the concrete elements according to the invention will be clear from FIGS. 3 and 4. The length of the lifting ropes 3 corresponds to the distance between neighbouring ridges 5. The pair of slabs (FIG. 3) hanging on the crane are set down with the longitudinal edges which will form the valleys on the support structure, in particular upon the valley points (bearing elements) of the wall, tie or support member, and by further lowering the lifting device the individual slabs tip automatically outwards to both sides into their final positions which are determined by the length of the lifting ropes 3 or by tie members of the support structure.

Finally the parts of the transverse reinforcement 2 of the neighbouring pairs of slabs lying at the ridge are joined. Then the ridges 5 and the valleys 6 can be closed with concrete, for example quick setting concrete or, if necessary, plastic concrete. In this way the provision of stiff ridge and valley edges is achieved. The lifting rope 3 and if used the tension bars can be removed after the setting of the valley and ridge concrete, or even after the connection of the reinforcement at the ridges, by opening the turnbuckles 4, and can be used for the mounting of the next building elements.

What I claim is:

1. A method of assembling rigid roof structures having a V-shaped valley from foldable building elements including a pair of elongated pre-stressed reinforced concrete slabs hingedly connected to each other along one edge by transverse bendable reinforcing elements passing between said slabs and extending continuously throughout the width of said slabs and beyond their outer edges forming carrying loops, comprising the steps of securing a flexible lifting element to said slabs, elevating said folded element by connecting a lifting means to said flexible lifting element to retain the slabs in a folded position, positioning and suspending the slabs over a supporting structure, lowering said slabs with their hinge connection contacting the supporting structure, further lowering said lifting means and permitting said sections to unfold an angular distance substantially equal to the length of said flexible lifting element between the upper edges of said slabs to a position of assembly so that said lifting element is straight and in tension preventing further outward movement of the upper edges of the slabs, securing said slabs in position on said supporting structure and finally releasing said flexible lifting element from the slabs to release the upper edges thereof.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 in which said flexible element is secured to said handles at the upper edges of said slabs and said final releasing step consists in disengaging the ends of said flexible element from said handles.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 in which said flex- 4 ible element is of a length equal to the width of the unfolded pair of slabs in their assembly position in which the flexible lifting element is passed in a loop around the pair of slabs and is equal to the circumference of the triangle formed by the slabs in their finally erected position.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 102,315 10/ 1937 Australia. 661,194 4/1963 Canada. 743,159 1/ 1956 Great Britain. 935,852 9/ 196 3 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

A. C. PERHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RIGID ROOF STRUCTURES HAVING A V-SHAPED VALLEY FROM FOLDABLE BUILDING ELEMENTS INCLUDING A PAIR OF ELONGATED PRE-STRESSED REINFORCED CONCRETE SLABS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER ALONG ONE EDGE BY TRANSVERSE BLENDABLE REINFORCING ELEMENTS PASSING BETWEEN SAID SLABS AND EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE WIDTH OF SAID SLABS AND BEYOND THEIR OUTER EDGES FORMING CARRYING LOOPS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SECURING A FLEXIBLE LIFTING ELEMENT TO SAID SLABS, ELEVATING SAID FOLDED ELEMENT BY CONNECTING A LIFTING MEANS TO SAID FLEXIBLE LIFTING ELEMENT TO RETAIN THE SLABS IN A FOLDED POSITION, POSITIONING AND SUSPENDING THE SLABS OVER A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, LOWERING SAID SLABS WITH THEIR HINGE CONNECTION CONTACTING THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, FURTHER LOWERING SAID LIFTING MEANS AND PERMITTING SAID SECTIONS TO UNFOLD AN ANGULAR DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF SAID FLEXIBLE LIFTING ELEMENT BETWEEN THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID SLABS TO A POSITION OF ASSEMBLY SO THAT SAID LIFTING ELEMENT IS STRAIGHT AND IN TENSION PREVENTING FURTHER OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER EDGES OF THE SLABS, SECURING SAID SLABS IN POSITION ON SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND FINALLY RELEASING SAID FLEXIBLE, LIFTING ELEMENT FROM THE SLABS TO RELEASE THE UPPER EDGES THEREOF. 